The Beast, the Woman, and Her Flowers
by creatoriginsane
Summary: "He is no brute, he is a man." Konoha's Green Beast has met his match in a woman with flowers in her hair.
1. Peony

**The Beast, the Woman, and Her Flowers**

A/N: Updated as of 18 March 2019.

* * *

 _"He is no brute, he is a man."_

 _Konoha's Green Beast has met his match in a woman with flowers in her hair._

* * *

Shikaku no Shikai has seen a lot of things.

Now, in one of Konohagakure's many drinking establishments, she is sitting across the very distraught, yet amazingly flawless-looking Koubaku Haru.

Haru, as Shikai knows her, is a beautiful, delicate-looking flower. She is a geisha by profession, well-versed in all the arts and gifted with the charms even goddesses would be envious of. Men all over have chased after her, have vowed to win battles for her, and have even waged war against countries for her.

Well, the latter is obviously an exaggeration, but Shikai wouldn't put it past them.

After all, Haru is a woman of expensive taste and a certain eye for bloodshed. As far as Shikai knows, Haru's special technique is as artistic as it is macabre, which makes it all the more unnerving that this woman had even set foot in such a cheap, homely establishment.

Even in their missions before, Haru would never even let herself be near such a place.

But they aren't on a mission today.

 _So why is she..._

 _Oh._

Shikai could almost slap herself for not realizing it sooner.

She speaks to Haru in a low voice, eyes looking over everyone in the room, "Now who could have possibly caught your eye in this city?"

Haru smiled wickedly, painted lips parting to show perfect teeth.

Shikai is reminded of how single-minded Haru is when it comes to things that she wants.

"Him."

Haru's eyes move the slightest bit to the left.

"He's the one." She says, all giddy and excited.

Shikai looks behind her and sees someone completely ordinary-looking, someone who wouldn't even be worth a second glance. If he is the one Haru wants, then...

"That one?" She scoffs. "He seems ordinary."

Shikai turns back to the drink before her and starts sipping.

"Oh, but he isn't just any man!" Haru exclaims. "He's Konohagakure's Magnificent Green Beast!"

Shikai almost spits out her drink. "Is that what you call him, then?"

 _There is no way that plain-looking man could have that extravagant title._

She laughs. "Then he's no different from being a monster."

But Haru's vibrant green eyes are quick to turn cold.

"He is no brute." She chides as if lecturing a young child, "He is a man."

Shikai rolls her eyes. "I didn't say he was a brute."

Haru's tone is bitter and condescending. "As if you are any different."

 _That struck a nerve._

"Why suddenly so bitter?" Shikai sighs before she turns back to the man, sitting all casual and drinking something that looks to have no alcohol in it.

"He looks... Well, he's dressed quite nicely."

Shikai means plainly.

"He caught those thieves so easily!"

"He's a shinobi, Haru." She nods. "It's only expected of them."

The man was wearing a forehead protector.

"He showed incredible reaction time!" Haru continued.

Shikai nods again. "He must be quite an exceptional shinobi, then."

"I couldn't even see him!"

"Well, he wouldn't be an effective shinobi otherwise."

"And he's so..." Haru fawns over him, "so gallant in his words."

"Yeah." Shikai casts a sideways glance at the shinobi, "He looks like the type."

"Oh, but he didn't even look at me!" Haru frowns. "Not even a glance!"

Shikai thinks she's being too dramatic. Of course, shinobi wouldn't ogle women when they're chasing after criminals.

"I was standing a mere few feet from him!"

"Yeah." She manages to drawl out. "He doesn't look like the type to appreciate a woman's charm."

"Maybe he's already committed!" Haru begins panicking. "He must be married! A man like him! Of course he would already–"

"It doesn't look like he is." Shikai deadpanned.

And Haru stops.

"And am I to trust your discerning eye?" She looked at Shikai critically.

"Yes." Shikai finishes the contents of her glass. "But I really can't believe that we aren't even one week into our stay in Konohagakure and you're already looking for men."

She really can't.

"Well, aren't you?"

Haru really isn't one to hold back.

Shikai grimaces. "Does it look like I have the time?"

"Well, you certainly have the time now, eating and drinking with me in the middle of the afternoon." Haru gestured to the two pitches of cocktails and the platter of seafood and barbecue between them.

Shikai shrugs. "I didn't have a choice."

Haru pours another glass for Shikai, another for herself.

"Why have we been stationed here, anyway?" Shikai whined.

"There's an exam coming up and we're to observe certain buds."

Haru often speaks in such flowery language that Shikai could only attempt to decipher its meaning. Ever since rumors of a certain group out to capture the bijuu have surfaced, the entire world had been thrown into a mess of politics and whispers of potential wars.

But they aren't here to determine whether such rumors were true. No, they're just here for the sights.

 _If there was any._

"I'd rather be stationed somewhere else."

"You just haven't had enough romance in your life!" Haru jokes.

"No." Shikai is quick to sound sullen. "I think I've had enough."

"Actually, you and him are perhaps the same in lacking a romantic life." Haru noted.

She glares at the smiling woman. "Don't lump me in with the shinobi, Haru."

"Romance is an essential part of life, don't you think?"

Haru offers her glass up in a toast.

Shikai doesn't answer nor does she raise her glass.

 _What could have ever happened to you?_

Haru often wonders what made the woman before her to sullen and melancholic. Perhaps she had a lover who died? A lover who left her? Or perhaps was she the one who left him?

"I think..." Haru suggests, "I think I'll go to him."

Shikai blinks, but doesn't say anything. She knows Haru has always been forward, and just lets her stand up and walk towards the man.

But what surprises Shikai is that Haru walks past that ordinary-looking shinobi and heads further back.

Even further that Shikai had to crane her neck a little just to see who Haru is...

She could not believe her eyes.

* * *

Haru had always been the woman that never goes unnoticed. She had never been a wallflower or a mere bystander. She had always been the bouquet of flowers noticed by all and everyone. She had always been cast a second glance, but now...

Now she knew what it felt like to be invisible.

As she approaches this man of undeniable robustness, this man of pure and unadulterated masculinity, this man that might very well be the man of her dreams...

 _Why hasn't he noticed me yet!?_

Haru feels so impatient and giddy, feels her knees growing weaker as she approaches him ever so slowly, feels her heart race in her chest and her cheeks heat up.

She hasn't felt this way in a long time. She probably hasn't felt this way in the twenty-six years she had been alive.

 _Look at me! Look at me!_

Her mouth trembles at the sight of him. She feels her body shake and she fears that her long, dark hair would suddenly come out of its elegant updo.

But it doesn't. Thankfully, it doesn't.

Haru produces a single blossom from her kimono sleeve. It is a peony, the gentle-looking blossom with such an honest message to convey. She is merely a few feet from him now, and she's inching closer and closer.

He's laughing and drinking and still not noticing her.

Oh, she could just summon vines and root to force him to look at her, but that would be unbecoming of such a lady like her, wouldn't it?

She offers the flower to him before she says anything else.

He stops laughing.

His friends stop laughing.

This is the scene she had been waiting for. He's looking up at her, wide-eyed and surprised.

This is the silence she had been hoping for.

"You were very brave today, sir." She says, blushing deeply.

He reaches for her hand.

And quickly plucks the peony from her trembling fingers without so much as touching them.

"Yes! This! The flower of youth would look like this!"

He's looking at the pink peony the same way Haru is looking at him.

He is Maito Gai, Konohagakure's overly-energetic, youth-loving, Magnificent Green Beast.

"I thank you, kind woman!" He gives Haru his signature smile.

And at that moment, Haru faints.

* * *

A/N: I'm in love with writing these women. Consider this as the light-hearted companion to the angsty parody that is Love-in-idleness. And just like that story, updates will be sporadic. I'm just making things up as I go along, sorry.

Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks!


	2. Agrimony

**The Beast, the Woman, and Her Flowers**

A/N: Haru was asleep for over a year. Just kidding. I had stalled this and everything else I was supposedly writing for Naruto until now. I wrote a lot of other things and now I think it's time for me to get back.

 _Love-in-idleness_ will be updated soon, if only to end things cleanly in three or four more chapters before I start with _Over Troubled Waters_ (working title).

Oh, and this timeline happens before _Love-in-idleness_ , like nearing the Chuunin Exams of the original series. So it's not really a spin-off? Oh, goodness. What have I done? Anyway, the previous chapter has been updated for consistency.

Feedback is always appreciated. I love these women so much and I hope you do as well. Thanks for reading.

* * *

" _He is no brute, he is a man._

 _Konoha's Green Beast has met his match in a woman with flowers in her hair._

* * *

Shikai had met Haru when she was thirty years old. And in the two years she has known her, she has never really asked why Haru is in the profession that she is.

That is, under the employment of a certain Lady Miyabi, a wealthy philanthropist whose main source of income is the fact that she is abundantly rich. Lady Miyabi hails from Hi no Kuni, but is not affiliated to the daimyou, not entirely, not directly. In fact, she could hardly say that she is affiliated with any one of the daimyou from any of the countries.

Shikai thinks Lady Miyabi could establish her own country and no one would bat an eye.

No, Lady Miyabi could _definitely_ establish her own country and no one would even _dare_ bat an eye.

She was that wealthy and that powerful, she employs various kinds of people into her service, and still has enough resources to provide for other countries in need.

" _Konohagakure is hosting the exams this year. I want you to go there for me."_

Which is why they've found themselves at the said village's gates, holding on to Lady Miyabi's invitation and a letter from the woman herself.

"We are here in Lady Miyabi's behalf." Shikai tells the guards, handing them the letter.

And it was an expensive-looking letter, written on silken paper, with the finest black ink, and enclosed in an embroidered scroll.

The man doesn't need to read the letter in its entirety, as he sees Lady Miyabi's golden stamp of approval on the lower left.

"Of course!" He stutters. "Please enjoy your visit!"

He returns the letter to her with shaky hands.

"Thank you, kind sirs." Haru replied as Shikai tucked the letter back into her sleeve.

"Let's go, Haru." Shikai cleared her throat, fixing the straw hat over her head.

Haru smiled at them brightly, and Shikai could already tell that they've fallen for it, before trailing after her.

* * *

Konohagakure is big and loud. They were told that graduation had just finished and everyone is busier than ever. Foreigners, whether shinobi or not, are sure to come through the village by the hundreds.

"We have four days before the Chuunin Exams." Shikai says, suddenly feeling weary at the sight of the crowd. "Best find a place to stay for however long it is."

"Oh, there's no rush." Haru says cheerfully. "Exams would usually last for only two to three weeks."

"Usually?"

"And this village looks so vibrant." Haru continued, "I wonder how many fresh buds are there."

Shikai thinks that metaphor is either horrific or harrowing.

"Whatever, they're going to wilt eventually anyway." Shikai mutters, stepping forward to clear their first agenda of the day.

Lodging.

So they spent half of their morning looking for a place to stay in, a place spacious enough to fit two people comfortably. Though Shikai wanted a place far from the main streets, Haru wanted nothing more than to live along the main streets, where all the market stalls and all the noise is.

"Wouldn't you consider somewhere inconspicuous?" Shikai looked over the inn's too-welcoming facade.

"What for? We aren't here for an assassination." Haru was unabashed enough to say it so openly.

But with all the things going on around them, no one had noticed. After all, they were just two women looking for a place to stay.

"It's too... close to the main street." Shikai preferred quiet places.

"Which is the most inconspicuous location of all."

And Haru was right. It was a traveler's inn close to restaurants and market stalls. No one would suspect anything.

As if there was anything to be suspicious of?

In the end, Shikai agrees and books two rooms across each other. She takes the room on the inside and Haru takes the room facing the street. The rooms were only mildly lavish; with a raised futon, a simple vanity, a table and two chairs each, and a heater with a tea set.

Haru's room had a vase, perhaps left behind by the room's previous occupant, and takes a single stem from her sleeve.

It was a yellow agrimony.

But of course, to Shikai it was just a flower.

Much like the carved flower on her hairpin, a purple globe amaranth.

Haru wonders why she keeps it on her person at all times.

"I'm going out." Haru says over Shikai's shoulder. "I want to see what's there in the market."

A drawer was open in the vanity in Shikai's room, and her hairpin was held in one hand. Haru could only assume what she was about to do.

"Do you want to come with me?"

Shikai shook her head. "I think I'll rest for a while."

"I'll be back by lunch." Haru smiled before she left.

Shikai doesn't believe her.

This is Haru's first time in this village, and Shikai knows that Haru just absolutely loves exploring shops and stalls.

"At least she's not the type you need to take care of." Shikai says to herself before drifting off to sleep.

Haru was the type you need to be careful of.

* * *

Though her outward appearance shows little of it, Shikai believes Haru can cut a man's head cleanly off his shoulders with the ease and grace as if she were trimming a bonsai.

And that is exactly what Haru is doing.

Rather, she's looking at a stall featuring small bonsai trees.

"And these are grown here?"

"Oh, yes!" The old lady manning the stall replied. "Right here in my garden."

"How wonderful."

She thinks the bonsai could use a little more watering.

The store she goes to after that is an apothecary. The dried plants are all in dusty, labeled jars. The middle-aged man behind the counter is gingerly counting what looks to be seeds.

"Excuse me."

And he looks up, the stern look on his face unchanging.

"Would you happen to have any–" She was about to ask him if he had any dried angelica when a distant voice shouted.

"Stop, thief!"

She stepped outside to see the commotion. There were three men, each with a bag of goods, running and shoving past unwitting civilians. She could stop them if she tried. She could.

"Hana Ninpou–"

But before she could actually summon vines to trap and capture those thieves, a man wearing a green tracksuit ran past her.

A man who, to her, bore the fiercest eyes and the brightest of smiles.

At that moment, Haru fell in love.

* * *

But in the present moment, Haru is unconscious.

And Shikai, ever roped in her antics and her misadventure since the day they met, rushes to save her from the fall.

"I'm sorry for my friend." She says to the group at the table. "She's had a bit too much to drink."

She rushes Haru right out of there and heads straight to the inn.

 _So much for being inconspicuous._

But mere minutes after being laid down on her futon, Haru wakes up shocked and red-faced. She knew all-too-well what had happened minutes before.

"How embarrassing!" She cried into her hands.

"I told you." Shikai doesn't comfort her. "Don't make an embarrassment of yourself while we're here."

"I fainted?" But Haru seems to not hear her, and instead continues her lamenting. "In front of him?"

Shikai sighs.

"Oh, what would he think of me now?"

"Possibly just shocked. Possibly unstable." Shikai joked.

Haru continued wailing.

"But it's unlikely that either of you would see each other again."

 _That quieted her..._

"Why do you think so?" Haru asked meekly.

"He's a shinobi, Haru." Shikai states knowingly. "And shinobi have very little time outside of their missions and their training."

"But he was..."

 _Yes, he could have time, but not enough for you, Haru._

Haru doesn't say anything more, but instead looks down as if in grief

"But the Chuunin Exams begin in a few days." Shikai says in an attempt to comfort her. If there was anything scarier than a single-minded Haru, it was an emotional Haru.

For some reason, her abilities are more potent, a bit more stronger, and a lot more formidable if she was unlike her usual self. And Shikai does not want to be a victim of that.

"You might see him again."

And Haru's frown faded.

"Yes." She said dreamily. "I will see him again."

The pink flush on Haru's cheeks does not deter Shikai from Haru's declaration.

She will see him again.

 _Oh, no._

And Haru means it.

* * *

Back at the bar, a certain Shiranui Genma picks up and hairpin from the ground and regrets ever thinking to not go drinking with Gai ever again.

* * *

A/N: Oh, can you feel the ships now? Just kidding. I hope I get to update my other works soon! Thanks for reading.


	3. Acacia

**The Beast, the Woman, and Her Flowers**

A/N: Here I am. And this is more about Haru and Shikai's relationship, so...

* * *

" _He is no brute, he is a man._

 _Konoha's Green Beast has met his match in a woman with flowers in her hair._

* * *

Haru was twenty-two years old when she saw the dragon inked onto Shikai's back.

They were in a bathhouse east of Kirigakure, an old one with its elderly owner and her granddaughter as the only other people in the establishment. They had just finished a mission that day, an escort mission turned bloody when their charge's own people turned against him.

They fought, the two of them, against sixteen soldiers.

Haru looks at Shikai's pensive expression and notices the cut on her cheek.

"They got to your face." She muses.

Shikai sinks neck-deep into the steaming water and breathes shallowly.

"At least they didn't get to yours." She replies.

However, Haru had three cuts on her left arm and she was sure she had a large bruise forming on her right thigh.

"Right." She says, watching her blood seep into the milky water.

She frowns at the sight of it.

* * *

Haru sees the dragon again, but this time they're in the Konoha Hot Springs.

It's late in the afternoon and they had been informed earlier that a Lady Miyabi had a booking here for a spa treatment and a dinner.

"Miyabi-hime ought to come to these things when she is invited." Shikai had frowned when they arrived at the entrance.

"Oh, hush. You mean Miyabi-hime should give us missions like this more often."

Haru knows that Shikai is a picky woman, that despite her bare appearance, she would never eat at cheap establishments by choice and wouldn't pass up on an opportunity to indulge in the finer things in life.

Haru knows that Shikai is like her, at least to some extent.

And so when faced with the dragon again, at the far end of the spring, Haru dares ask a question that has been on her mind for quite some time.

"A dragon often symbolizes strength." She mused, "I wonder what yours symbolizes, Shikai-san."

It was a white dragon, twisted and curling, and behind it was a tumultuous ocean. Haru doesn't know if the dragon is floating above it or trapped within its waves, writhing in desperation. Its expression is quite hard for her to decipher, its fangs are bared as if in anger, or perhaps it is in pain, or perhaps in joy? Are the waves even the waves of an ocean? Or perhaps they are those of a river? A lake?

"If you're wondering where it is, it's in an ocean." Shikai begins.

"So it's in the water?"

Shikai paused.

"I don't know..."

Haru wonders how she could have a tattoo and not know what it meant or what it depicted.

"Do you think the dragon is drowning?" She asked carefully.

Shikai doesn't answer.

"I'd like to think it had just risen from the water." Haru offers.

Shikai looks down at the water in the spring, and Haru wonders if what she said was right.

* * *

The dinner spread is glorious, and the food selection is expensive. Haru noticed that Shikai's mouth hung agape at the sight, and laughs.

"Surely Miyabi-hime wouldn't be able to consume all of this either." Haru spoke. "Perhaps she was expecting guests?"

"Something doesn't seem right." Shikai kneeled in front of the table and picked at the food with chopsticks. "Why the first night, Miyabi-hime?"

"Perhaps she expected us to bring friends along."

Shikai could only think of one answer.

"Who would threaten her life here and so soon?"

Lady Miyabi is rich, famous, and surely someone, somewhere in the world wants her dead.

"The Chuunin Exams are a troublesome time, Shikai-san." Haru sat across her. "Miyabi-hime just took precaution."

"She could have just booked us an inn." Shikai frowned at the sight of food. "Things like these are hardly necessary."

"Let's enjoy the finery while we can, Shikai-san." Haru reached over to the bottle between them. "Sake?"

Shikai raised her cup in silence.

"Cheers." Haru smiled.

In her mind, she wondered if there was a chance that _he_ would be around the premises. It would be a pity to see such good food go to waste.

* * *

And he was. At least, if by "premises" Haru meant within thirty miles of the Hot Springs. They approached a restaurant, a homey establishment, and he came out of the very same place. Or rather, was carried out by two younger shinobi. His face was bruised and cut, and his clothes were dirty and bloody.

"Oh, dear."

Shikai held Haru's wrist before she could step forward.

"Don't, Haru."

Haru's arm stiffened in her grip.

"Don't interfere."

The younger woman glared, and Shikai could only think of the many ways she could force her way out of the ironclad grip. But Shikai, being the taller one, stared right back at her.

"Miyabi-hime said to help those in need."

Shikai dislikes it when Haru uses Lady Miyabi's words.

"The hospital is right around the block."

Haru's glare didn't disappear.

"You're going to expose us." Shikai continued.

Haru kept her response sharp, "As if medical ninjutsu is such a rarity."

"But seemingly ordinary women who practice it are."

Haru snapped, as if struck by lightning, and Shikai smiled in spite of this.

"Ordinary?"

"Yes." Shikai pulled Haru before she could move. "And remember, we're here as guests, nothing more."

"Not even a single act of kindness?"

"If he were so helpless."

Shikai's grip didn't falter, and Haru could simply watch as the man's companions dragged him away. She knows that this isn't anything new, and Haru knows that this isn't anything strange either. They are soldiers, they and the shinobi both. And soldiers get scarred and wounded, bloodied and bruised. This was normal. This _is_ normal.

Still, Haru wonders.

 _Whatever could have happened to him?_

She frowns, and lets Shikai lead her to the inn.

And not too far, a shadow follows them.

* * *

"Tomorrow..."

Shikai sits at the low table in Haru's room as the younger woman changes into something simpler.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?"

"I don't know about you, Shikai-san," Haru laughed as she began undoing her hair, "but I heard that the Botanical Gardens here are marvelous."

"And they would grant you entry?"

"Miyabi-hime's token." Haru glanced at the medallion on the dresser.

Shikai purses her lips. The exams are still three days away, what are they to do? Sure, it was upon her initiative that they depart as early as possible, but she didn't expect to arrive this early.

"Is there anything else to do here?"

"Oh, I'm sure there's something for you here." Haru smiled as she pulled the pins from her head.

But that didn't comfort the older woman. Instead, the older woman sighed and leaned her head against her hand. She simply watched the younger woman undo her carefully coiffed hair and counted the pins that came from her head.

"There's one missing." Haru spoke after her left hand felt air.

Shikai's eyes widened. But it wasn't that she would notice–there was simply too much hidden in Haru's hair–it's just that the pins holding Haru's hair were not ordinary pins. There were jeweled ones sure, but the one that was missing...

"One of these." Haru raised a pin with a yellow flower at one end.

Shikai knew what that pin actually was.

That pin held a syringe with a paralytic toxin.

"Whoever must have found it..." Haru thought aloud.

They've skipped the question of "Where could it have fallen?" and went straight to the important one. If a civilian found it, then it would be no problem. But if a shinobi found it, or if a civilian who found it brought it to the authorities...

"But there's no need to worry, right, Shikai-san?"

Haru was oddly calm.

"We're civilians, after all." She continued. "And it would be hard to trace it."

Shikai hesitated to accept Haru's words.

But Haru was right, to a certain extent. The pin looked unremarkable enough, and its trigger was hidden away in careful twists and pulls. It would harm anyone so quickly. And if they had played with it for more than a little while... The toxin wasn't so deadly. They would be paralyzed for half an hour at most.

But that was the best case scenario.

"The worst case..." Shikai muttered.

"Don't think about it too much, Shikai-san." Haru comforted the stiff woman, "Sleep will do us both some good."

She nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, Haru."

It was just the first night, after all.

* * *

And the first night in any place, as Shikai knows, is often the most dangerous one. Enemies are bound to lurk and would-be assassins would take this opportunity to fulfill a contract. They're paid higher the quicker they get it done, after all. And what would be a better time to strike than at night?

Shikai thinks that if there ever were assassins out to kill Lady Miyabi, a more opportune time would have been in the hot spring. It's easier to drown someone than to force a blade through their chest. And even easier to poison the food or drink rather than to strike from far away.

So the first night comes, and there is no threat to either of their lives just yet.

But there is a thief.

She senses him even before she slides open her door.

But what is there to steal from her? Clothes? Food? Whatever money she has left in her room? She doesn't sense him trying to leave, though, it's more like he's waiting for something.

So perhaps she had spoken too soon about there being no threat.

 _Like always._

She sighs inwardly before sliding the door open.

"Lady Miyabi is not here. You've wasted your time."

She expects the would-be assailant to rush forward, aim a decisive cut to her neck or perhaps move to incapacitate her and disappear without a witness, but he doesn't. Instead, he's leaning against the wall–all aloof and quiet–one hand in his pocket and another holding a hairpin. Haru's hairpin.

 _Well, guess that answered the question._

"So," Shikai doesn't move from her spot at the door, "what brings you here?"

The man's so shocked at her words that the needle almost falls out of his mouth.

Almost.

* * *

Well, that sentence he did not expect.

He didn't expect the pretty woman's companion either.

 _Shit._

There are about three other ways Shiranui Genma could have planned this.

"Wrong room."

* * *

A/N: Okay. So nothing happened. Anyway, read my other work ( _War-torn_ ) because I just love putting characters in difficult situations.

Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading!


	4. Bee ophrys

**The Beast, the Woman, and Her Flowers**

A/N: Here we go! Genma is hard to write, but it's still fun so...

Happy (belated) Mother's Day! Let's all hope Mama Shikai manages to handle Haru's antics.

* * *

" _He is no brute, he is a man._

 _Konoha's Green Beast has met his match in a woman with flowers in her hair._

* * *

This is how it all happens.

She rushes forward, blades sheathed and fingers stiff. An open palm attack, quite like those of the Hyuuga clan, moving to disarm him and have him face-down on the ground. She asks him what he wants, who his target is, what he's doing here. He answers partially. It's all a misunderstanding, he isn't here for her.

Or perhaps it happens like this.

She charges forward, a single blade unsheathed and aimed for his chest. A singular point of attack meant to eliminate him. He counters, sweeps her off her feet and onto the ground. Perhaps it goes on for quite a while, but it ends with her down on the ground and him explaining that she's in the wrong. He's here for her friend.

Or maybe even something like this.

She steps forward to gauge his reaction and continues until she's well within his reach. She asks him something coy, whispers something seductive, something sinister. Then she kisses him and cuts through his stomach without even asking for his name or his purpose. A true femme fatale.

Shiranui Genma is a shinobi. He's a good shinobi. He's an exceptionally good shinobi. He's a terribly good shinobi who ought to have thought this through thrice over before actually doing it. Really, his reputation in on the line.

Probably not right now, but–

"So, what brings you here?"

 _Well._

None of those happen. And in his defense, the third course is highly unlikely. He's just probably read _Make-Out Paradise_ a few times too many. And she doesn't look too much like those femme fatales either.

Still, her lack of a reaction suggests that she's either already aware of him or desensitized to this kind of thing. Well, either doesn't bode well for him, so he replies as articulate as he can.

"Wrong room."

Yes. As articulate as he can.

"I see."

It's quiet. It's awkward. She doesn't rush forward, doesn't scream, doesn't run away, she just... stands there. And she even looks... bored. There are about–no, _at least_ , three other ways he could have gone about this little predicament.

Raidou and Aoba both tried talking him out of it. She might just be some passerby. Konoha gets a lot of them these days. He doesn't have a chance. She might be a foreign shinobi come to participate in the Chuunin Exams, though it seems highly unlikely. She's too... delicate-looking, too beautiful to actually be a shinobi. But that might be the worst part, that might be her edge in this competition. Worse, she might even be an enemy sent to infiltrate Konoha while the Chuunin Exams are going on.

 _"Well, I'll just have to see for myself, won't I?"_

In hindsight, he shouldn't have done this at all. Or, he should have planned this a lot more carefully. Sure, he had followed them out of the bar and even had the will to stop himself from peeking in the hot springs –he was only _kind of_ a pervert, that title is reserved for Kakashi-but they showed little to no attention to his presence.

In all honesty, he expected her to have done something by now.

"Your friend, she dropped this." He raises the pin toward her.

 _Yeah. Smooth. Real smooth._

She doesn't take it. Instead, she says, "Identify yourself."

Now, Genma knows there are three possible reasons why she would ask such a thing. One, she's genuinely curious. Two, she's an enemy and thinks he's a threat. Three, she's going to tell her pretty friend.

"Shiranui Genma. A tokubetsu jounin of Konohagakure at your service."

He adds the last three words and a charming smile to earn some bonus points.

"A shinobi..."

Which she might not be willing to give, seeing as she lowered her gaze and muttered under her breath. He can't read her, not as fast as he usually could because she's giving him all vague signs. Is she going to attack? Is she going to take it? Is she going to reply? Her stance is too neutral, too tired, too... unreadable.

"Yeah." He breathes out. "I mean neither of you any harm, just wanted to return this."

"Of course." She replies right after, but doesn't step aside to let him through or reach out to take the hairpin from him.

 _Is she going to stall for as long as she can?_

"Look. I just wanted to do a good deed."

"Give it to me."

Well, there goes his chances of giving it to the pretty woman himself.

But he gives it to her still and she steps aside. The best he can hope for is that she gives his name to her pretty friend.

"Well, I'll just be on my way, miss."

He doesn't think he should ask her name.

* * *

It's not every day that Shikai finds a stranger in her room acting all sly and mysterious, but when it does happen, it's usually a lovelorn man who comes to her in the hopes of getting to Haru. Get the friend to get the girl, as they say.

"Wrong room."

So, of course, he's surprised to see her.

"I see."

And, of course, she expected him to say such a thing.

"Your friend, she dropped this."

He hands over the hairpin with a careful stillness. It's as if he's waiting for her to do something, to attack him. The hairpin is in his hand. He could easily trick her and stab her with it, so she asks for his name.

"Shiranui Genma. A tokubetsu jounin of Konohagakure at your service."

He tries to win her over by being the least bit charming. But she's not charmed, not at all. The fact that a shinobi had found Haru's hairpin is dangerous. Perhaps he's already found out. Perhaps he's here to verify something. Perhaps he's here to question them. Shikai cannot allow that, she can't simply allow Haru and herself to be placed in such a position. They're not criminals on the run, they're just proxies for Lady Miyabi.

"I mean neither of you any harm, just wanted to return this."

Well, that reassured her. This Shiranui Genma must be someone who's just in love.

 _Pity him, though. Haru's single-minded when it comes to things she wants._

"Look. I just wanted to do a good deed."

Shikai looks at him and wonders for a moment if this is a sign of things to come. If there was one shinobi who had set his sights on Haru, there was bound to be another. Konohagakure is a big village, and the eve of the Chuunin Exams means more and more people would come, more and more people would see Haru, more and more people would–

"Give it to me."

She doesn't want to think of such exaggerated things. She takes the pin and steps aside.

"Well, I'll just be on my way, miss."

And he leaves. She doesn't follow him or threaten him. He doesn't seem like the type to pursue the unattainable, anyway. Perhaps he's just a good man seeking to deliver a lost item.

* * *

Haru doesn't hear about the entire ordeal until the next day. How Haru "heard" about it, Shikai doesn't know. If it were up to her, Haru wouldn't have heard anything at all.

"I heard there was a man in your room."

 _Oh, so quick to cause scandal so early in the morning._

"You're right." Shikai knows there's naught to be gained if she protested it. "And he was looking for you."

Haru sips her tea and averts her gaze. She knows it couldn't possibly be him. It was too quiet last night. And if it was him, Shikai would have told her sooner.

"If he was, he would have come to me and not you." Haru whispered with malicious intentions. "Or are you lying?" She smirked.

Shikai frowns. "Would I even dare?"

And her question is heavy. Haru knows about the tragedy that befell Shikai some years before, knows about a certain man-turned-master and a certain man-turned-god. Though she only knows the surface of it all–she has yet to know the names of those two –she knows Shikai wouldn't dare touch a man let alone think about touching a man.

"In any case, he was the one who found it."

Shikai places the hairpin between them and Haru picks it up immediately, looks at it with the most critical of eyes. She's trying to find something, something wrong or something lacking. The beads are all intact, the petals not misshapen, and the tiny vial still has the right amount of the toxin. There's nothing wrong. Nothing at all.

"Well, I hope you gave him my thanks." Haru places the pin in her hair.

Shikai wonders just how Haru could fix her way that way.

For the moment it's quiet. It's peaceful. Haru sips on her tea and Shikai stares at the morning view outside. People are on their way to wherever. It's idyllic. It's calm. The Chuunin Exams are just days away, but this early morning peace is something to marvel at. Shikai and Haru both appreciate moments like this. That is, until Shikai notices something unbearably green.

And she has to do a double take just to be sure.

 _Is that... His son?_

She turns to Haru sharply, only to see that Haru's expression has fallen.

She tries to console her, "Haru..."

But the woman bolts upright, too fast for anyone to stop her, and rushes past the inn's doors.

Shikai sighs. If Haru is so single-mindedly determined to pursue such a man, then perhaps his son might be able to deter her. She knows about that man from Haru's past, knows about the heartbreak Haru had experienced before. And if it's one thing Shikai knows best about matters of the heart, it's that experience is a better teacher than any.

She sips her tea and eats the rest of the food in silence.

* * *

If there's anything Genma expects to see early in the morning, it's civilians and shinobi going about their day, it's the blue sky, it's Gai and his students on their twenty-something lap around Konoha, it's that pretty woman following behind them like some stalker–

Now that's something Genma doesn't see every day.

He looks around for any signs of her disgruntled friend and sees nothing.

Now's his chance. He just needs to find an excuse. He's already given back her hairpin, so there's no reason for him to approach her. Unless he finds a way to make the hairpin drop as he "casually" passes by...

Right. Genma is a shinobi. A good shinobi. A shinobi who should know better than to use his ninjutsu skills to approach a pretty woman on the street. It's not like he's out to get her or anything. It's harmless. It's just a senbon shot hard enough to knock her hairpin to the ground. He got perfect scores at the academy and he's never missed his mark.

Shiranui Genma has pinpoint accuracy and no one can tell him otherwise.

Which is why the moment his senbon is returned straight to him is an absolute moment of surprise.

He catches it with his hand rather than his mouth. It was thrown with the same amount of force, a force strong enough to pierce the needle through his face, a force that couldn't possibly come from–

"Identify yourself."

She appears in front of him suddenly, like a dream, like a mirage. There's not a hair out of place or the slightest crease in her attire, an expensive-looking kimono. She smiles down at him, her eyes crinkling at the edges. He almost doesn't what to say or do until he sees the set of senbon pressed between her fingers.

 _So she's a shinobi, then._

Probably not an enemy, but he can't assume such a thing when she had so obviously thrown his senbon back to his throat.

"Shiranui Genma."

One of the things he learned back at the academy was to never tell the enemy his name.

Still. This is Konoha. He has something like a home-field advantage. If she dares attack him, or anyone in this village, she must have a death wish.

Which he hopes she doesn't.

"You threatened me." She looks at him with bright green eyes, the kind of green that makes Genma think of springtime. "Why?"

He doesn't know if he should admit such an embarrassing thing. She could give him two possible reactions; she could laugh at him or she could be flattered. Oh, three actually. She could also try and stick those senbon into his face.

Special emphasis on _try_ because as pretty as she is, he won't show any mercy to an enemy.

He especially hopes she isn't an enemy.

"There was a bee–"

She sticks a senbon deep into the table before he could finish his sentence.

"No. Try again."

 _What a terrifying woman._

It's the thrill that gets to him and makes him answer, "I was the one who found your hairpin."

She hums, a near-silent tone that makes him want to hear her actually speak. She retrieves the senbon from the table with an unusual sense of ease. She retracts the rest of them back into her sleeve before pulling out an orchid.

"You have my thanks." She says, placing the flower down on the table. "But do take note that women like roses rather than thorns."

He doesn't know what to make with her words and merely watches in silence as she leaves.

But if that wasn't some subtle hint, Genma doesn't know what is.

* * *

Haru walked out of the restaurant with an indignant huff. She was just minding her own business when this shinobi shot a senbon right at her head. She could almost imagine Shikai telling her it was too early to be causing a scene, but not before cutting that shinobi's hand in one quick stroke.

 _Well, Shikai wouldn't actually do that._

Not when he was the man who was in Shikai's room last night, that man who found her hairpin and had returned it albeit to the wrong person. Haru thinks it's either strange or cut that he had made such a mistake, even stranger that Shikai hadn't mentioned his name at all.

 _Are you keeping secrets from me now, Shikai-san?_

But she doesn't want to think of Shikai at that kind of person, she doesn't even think that this Genma fellow is even her type.

 _He looks too plain, after all._

But Shikai's supposed romantic pursuits are of no concern to her, not right now, not when she's lost that boy who looks too much like the man of her dreams.

 _He couldn't possibly have a family, can he?_

She doesn't want to assume, but the thought gnaws at her. She's too deep in her thoughts to notice two figures running too fast for anyone to see. And Haru, despite her rigorous training, when she thinks too much, too deep about something especially important to her, tends to zone out.

She falls to the ground before she even realizes it.

Well, not exactly.

She's caught by a pair of hands, large and warm, and hits a very solid, a very warm, and quite wet surface.

She's learned not to close her eyes at the moment of impact let the enemy take advantage, but at that moment Haru wanted nothing else but to disappear.

It was him.

The mighty Green Beast of Konohagakure.

And he was holding her in his arms.

 _This is too fast!_

And in front of her is his son.

"I apologize, ma'am!" The boy exclaims with all the energy in the world.

And Haru is overwhelmed, too overwhelmed about all of this.

The Green Beast laughed. "It seems running backwards will be reserved for the early morning hours, Lee."

"Yes, Gai-sensei!" The boy saluted.

" _Sensei"? So they aren't... No, they couldn't be..._

And turns to her suddenly, too close, filling her vision with nothing but the sight of green, tanned skin, and chiseled features.

"Again, I apologize for my student, ma'am." He says, voice as clear as the morning sun, "I hope you're all right."

"I am." She manages to croak.

 _Oh, how unattractive!_

"That's good!" He steps away. "Let's go, Lee! We have fifteen more laps to go!"

And he's about to bolt away, but Haru isn't going to let him go, not that easily, until she knows his name.

"What's your name, sir?"

And he gives that smile, the same one he gave the first time they met.

"My name is Maito Gai, my good woman! And this is my student Rock Lee!"

He does a pose–places a hand on his hip and cocks it to one side, gives a thumbs up, and winks–and the boy follows suit.

"We're the Green Beasts of Konoha!"

She thinks they're absolutely charming and she's sure her face is as red as a rose in full bloom and she should tell them her name lest she doesn't get a chance like this again–

"My name is Koubaku Haru."

She smiles shakily.

And it's not until they've run off that she realizes nothing had come out of her mouth.

 _No! Wait!_

She knows she can't run that fast and she knows that waiting for them would raise questions from both them and the people in this place. What woman would wait for this supposed stranger to finish running a lap just so she could tell him her name? Haru was not that kind of woman, and there would definitely be other opportunities while they're here in Konoha.

It's the Chuunin Exams after all. There are bound to be opportunities for her to meet him again. The day is still young and the Botanical Gardens are just about to open.

 _Yes. There will be other opportunities._

She wonders if they run the same route every day and thinks about the probability of "accidentally" bumping into him the next day.

She has to make sure she looks her best then.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shikai, with little to no interest in Haru's antics this morning, exits the inn about half an hour later. She's usually not one to idle for too long, but the lack of activity prompts her to take her time in eating. She has only been in this village for a few times, some times regrettably shorter than others, but she can't say that any of the times actually count as a visit.

Well, one particular time was something she'll never forget.

But that was too far into the past to even matter now.

She has three more days before the actual exams start.

She knows nothing about this village, so she decides to take a stroll.

 _Of course, an armed samurai taking a stroll around the village is nothing strange at all._

She could choose to stay behind at the inn or walk around. Surely Lady Miyabi's token would grant her some peace, so she walks. She avoids the crowded streets and looks for a park or an open space. She's out and about. She had her two swords with her. She might as well do her katas.

So it's quite surprising that she finds the training grounds, and even more surprising that the first field she finds is empty.

 _Well, shinobi wouldn't attack just anyone for occupying their field, would they?_

She begins with basic stances. Regulates her breathing. Takes careful note of her surroundings. She listens to the wind, smells the grass beneath her feet. Concentrate. This is just like her mother taught her. And then she starts with iaido, one of the most difficult schools she has had to learn. She dares to do fifty perfect flights.

 _One. Two._

She listens.

 _Three. Four. Five._

She listens closer.

 _Six. Seven. Ei–_

She knocks down a kunai with the very same sword before whipping her head to its origin.

And out comes a girl, her skin flushed and sweaty.

"You're a samurai, aren't you?" She asks without any such tone of respect.

"I am." Shikai sheathes her sword.

"I have a katana, too." The girl declares. "Teach me."

Shikai merely looks at her with an expression of utter disbelief.

"One. You will address your elders with respect."

The girl's determined expression falls.

"Two. You have no right to request such a thing of me."

That ought to send her running, but she stands her ground.

"Three. You won't learn something in just three days."

She assumes the girl is one of the competitors in the Chuunin Exams. She sees the small scars and light bruises all over the girl's arms and neck. She's pushing herself. She's pushing her body to its limits. She should use these three days to recuperate and heal. There's nothing to be gained in working too hard.

But the girl isn't leaving.

Shikai sighs and decides to leave.

She doesn't have time to train children in this village.

"Your stances look beautiful." The girl calls out.

And Shikai stops.

" _Beautiful."_

It's a phrase too close to something else. It makes her remember something painful. And that much is evident when she whips her head at the girl.

"My name is Tenten." The girl continues. "And I've learned how to use weapons in less than that."

If that was some declaration of her worthiness, Shikai thinks it's more of a childish reason.

"Good for you, then." She huffs. "I hope your teacher knows that."

"He does!"

 _Oh, she just won't stop, won't she?_

"So he told me to find someone who can teach me better."

 _So the shinobi here know nothing about kenjutsu, is that it?_

"I was training out here and I saw you."

 _Oh, so probably others have as well._

"Look." Shikai stops her from saying anything more. "I don't take students."

The heartbreak on the girl's face is something too familiar to her, but she pays it no mind. She walks away and doesn't look back.

She half expects a rain of kunai to fall around her, an angry scream coming fast from behind, an impulsive attack aimed to make a point–

Nothing.

What does come, though, is a single, decisive scream.

"Please let me watch your katas!"

 _How can this girl be so determined?_

She turns to the girl slowly then, and mutters defeatedly.

"Fine."

The girl, Tenten, smiles brightly.

* * *

A/N: So, I don't know where to go with this? It's like it's branching out, but rest assured everything is connected! I've honestly been wanting to give Tenten and mentor figure in so long (like 2017 long), but I just couldn't find the right person or the right time to write it. So when this came along, I thought why not? Tenten is minor enough of a character (which is just heartbreaking because she's my favorite Konoha 11 girl) for this to happen without any major repercussions, so there it is.

Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading.


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